1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to structural panels in general and to high strength low density panels in particular.
2. Prior Art
Construction panels that include void spaces in order to save on material and/or weight are well known in the prior art. However, many of these panels are deficient in at least one of several areas. The void spaces in many prior art panels are poorly designed. The internal shape of the void spaces are seldom configured to enhance the strength of the structure. Furthermore, the positioning of most prior art void spaces within the panel are not selected to facilitate reinforcement of the other void spaces. To the extent that the prior art panels have reinforcing members at all, the reinforcing members seldom extend across the entire panels in every direction. Thus, loads applied to an area of the prior art panels often must be borne by that area in isolation rather than distributing the load across the entire panel. Because of these design deficiencies, greater amounts of material are typically required to achieve the desired panel strength in the prior art. As a result, the prior art panels frequently either are not as economical as possible in terms of cost and weight or their desired strength is sacrificed to achieve weight and/or economic goals. Accordingly, a multipurpose panel meeting the following objectives is desired.